Thailand News

Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.

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    9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand

    Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...

  • MP Rangsiman asks police to seize PM Prayut’s party HQ | Thaiger

    MP Rangsiman asks police to seize PM Prayut’s party HQ

    The Ruam Thai Sang Chart political party headquarters is at the centre of a controversy with the Move Forward Party urging police to take action and seize the Bangkok building. Opponent Rangsiman Rome, a Move Forward Party MP, alleges a senator who owns the building is a money-laundering suspect. MP Rangsiman called on the police chief to follow standard legal…

  • National park officer becomes an alien to promote tourism in southern Thailand | Thaiger

    National park officer becomes an alien to promote tourism in southern Thailand

    A surge in the circulation of extra-terrestrial-related stories on social media in Thailand inspired a national park officer to photo-edit an application to transform herself into an alien. The aim of this transformation was to boost tourism at the Khao Sok National Park, located in the southern province of Surat Thani. The discussion surrounding the existence of UFOs and aliens…

  • Over 50% of Bangkok’s population are fatties! | Thaiger

    Over 50% of Bangkok’s population are fatties!

    According to health experts, more than 50% of Bangkok’s population are fatties and believe there is a pressing need to address the health of lard-arsed residents not only in the capital but throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. Fortunately, there are people out there who care and want to prevent the fat people of Bangkok, and Thailand, from getting fatter and…

  • Thailand-Myanmar land border in Chiang Rai reopens after 3-year closure | Thaiger

    Thailand-Myanmar land border in Chiang Rai reopens after 3-year closure

    The Thailand-Myanmar land border at the Maesai Border Checkpoint in the northern province of Chaing Rai reopened yesterday after being closed for three years due to Covid-19. Thais and foreigners who want to visit Myanmar need to show a vaccine certificate or Covid test. Maesai Border Checkpoint and Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 1, which connect Chiang Rai province in Thailand with…

  • Thailand’s tourist entry fee to generate 3.9 billion baht this year | Thaiger

    Thailand’s tourist entry fee to generate 3.9 billion baht this year

    Thailand is expected to gain 3.9 billion baht (US$112 million) in revenue this year by charging tourists an entry fee beginning June 1, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday. Last week, Thailand’s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists, effective June 1. Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.67) and those arriving…

  • German man disappears from beach in central province of Thailand | Thaiger

    German man disappears from beach in central province of Thailand

    A German man disappeared from Laem Sing Beach in the central province of Chanthaburi on Sunday after visiting the beach for sunbathing. Police believe he has drowned. Thaweesak, the owner of a local food shop at the beach, notified the police after Sebastian, who was approximately 30 years old, went missing. According to Thaweesak, the German man visited his shop…

  • Thailand rules out travel ban from Equatorial Guinea despite deadly MVD outbreak | Thaiger

    Thailand rules out travel ban from Equatorial Guinea despite deadly MVD outbreak

    Thailand has not imposed a travel ban on tourists from Equatorial Guinea despite the outbreak of the highly infectious Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), a deadly virus similar to Ebola. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported the first-ever outbreak of MVD on Monday, February 13, in Equatorial Guinea. Nine people have died and 200 high-risk people have been quarantined, reported Thai…

  • TAT teams up with Netflix to create new Thailand travel guide | Thaiger

    TAT teams up with Netflix to create new Thailand travel guide

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has teamed up with Netflix to create an exciting new guide called Uncover Thailand: A Creative Travel Guide. The interactive guide will help tourists discover beautiful locations in Thailand that have been featured in popular films and shows on Netflix. The up-and-coming guide will also provide useful travel advice and fascinating facts to enhance…

  • Severed crocodile head crocs up in eastern Thailand | Thaiger

    Severed crocodile head crocs up in eastern Thailand

    A fisherman made a jaw-dropping discovery on Friday when he found a crocodile head at the Bang Phra reservoir in Si Racha district, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. The fisherman posted a photo of the bodyless croc in the Facebook group ‘Bang Phra Reservoir Fishing Club’ with the caption… “It was bitten by a local god? Or, how else did…

  • Russian tourists fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi, Thailand | Thaiger

    Russian tourists fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi, Thailand

    Two Russian tourists were fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi province, in southern Thailand, where the watersport is prohibited according to the province’s environmental protection measures. Jet skis and all other kinds of motorised water sports are banned in Krabi province to protect the environment, but two Russian tourists say there were not aware of the rule. Yesterday,…

  • Taxes up, bribes down – Palang Pracharath Party wants venues to operate legally | Thaiger

    Taxes up, bribes down – Palang Pracharath Party wants venues to operate legally

    The ruling Palang Pracharath Party’s Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn wants to make it easier for entertainment venues to operate legally. The Minister for the Digital Economy would like to see bars and clubs operate within the tax system, bringing in fiscal revenue and administration fees while reducing the scope for bribery. Chaiwut said on Sunday that Palang Pracharath members had agreed that…

  • Nok Air to launch Bangkok – Korat route | Thaiger

    Nok Air to launch Bangkok – Korat route

    Low-cost carrier Nok Air plans to connect Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to northeast Thailand in the coming months with a new direct flight to Nakhon Ratchasima, aka “Korat.” Chief Executive Officer of Nok Air, Wuttipoom Churankun, said the Bangkok – Korat route should begin after Songkran Festival in April 2023. The date of the route’s inaugural flight hasn’t yet…

  • Elephant’s back caves in after 25 years of tourist rides in Thailand | Thaiger

    Elephant’s back caves in after 25 years of tourist rides in Thailand

    Pai Lin the elephant spent over 25 years in Thailand’s trekking industry, where she was forced to give rides to up to six tourists at a time. Now, her back is visibly deformed. She now lives free at Thailand’s biggest wildlife rescue centre where she can roam chain-free and engage in natural behaviours. Photographs show that Pai Lin’s spine, which should naturally be rounded…

  • Phuket dwellers run for Turkey and Syria | Thaiger

    Phuket dwellers run for Turkey and Syria

    The people of Phuket are stepping up for victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Early yesterday morning, hundreds of Phuket dwellers gathered to participate in a charity fun run to raise funds for earthquake victims. The run was organised by the Phuket Tourism Association (PTA), and supported by more than 16 local private businesses and government agencies. The…

  • Woman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand | Thaiger

    Woman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand

    A boat driver found a woman’s body floating in the waters of Koh Tao island in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Centre (MECC) reported this morning. The woman was discovered floating among 20 200-litre oil barrels around 12 nautical miles northwest of Koh Tao island in the Koh Pha Ngan district. Speedboat operators from Koh…

  • Thailand schools and colleges banned from expelling pregnant schoolgirls | Thaiger

    Thailand schools and colleges banned from expelling pregnant schoolgirls

    Thailand has implemented a new directive to prohibit schools, colleges and education institutions from expelling, banning or transferring pregnant schoolgirls. Previously, it was easy for an institution to get rid of pregnant students but the new directive, published in the Royal Gazette on Friday, has put a stop to all that. The mandate was jointly signed by the Education Ministry…

  • New hospital aims to boost Samui medical tourism | Thaiger

    New hospital aims to boost Samui medical tourism

    A new hospital hopes to boost medical and wellness tourism on the popular holiday island of Koh Samui. Wattanapat Samui Hospital has just opened its doors, marking the fifth medical facility on the island. The hospital has 380 beds, specialist personnel, and modern equipment that are expected to boost confidence in Koh Samui as a wellness destination. Dr Somchai Chansawang,…

  • Government websites mostly hacked to promote gambling | Thaiger

    Government websites mostly hacked to promote gambling

    When a government website gets hacked, one might assume it’s an act of cyber warfare or a government opposition protest group. The truth is far less nefarious. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) announced that, out of about 500 cyberattacks on government websites last year, two-thirds of the hacks were to promote online gambling websites. According to the…

  • Thai cop resigns citing ‘protection of the guilty’ | Thaiger

    Thai cop resigns citing ‘protection of the guilty’

    A Thai cop who said he was a sergeant in the central Suphan Buri province resigned from his job. His resignation letter is making waves on social media. In the letter, which a fellow police officer posted on Facebook on Saturday, the officer cites “protection of the guilty” as one of the reasons for the loss of morale among police.…

  • Thai Airways cabin crew forgets to collect meal trays before landing on Singapore-Bangkok flight | Thaiger

    Thai Airways cabin crew forgets to collect meal trays before landing on Singapore-Bangkok flight

    Thai Airways is ‘”urgently investigating” why cabin crew failed to collect meal trays on a Singapore – Bangkok flight before landing on the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport after an irked passenger recorded the incident on TikTok. TikTok user Praewa Nang Mana (@Praewa_panicha) posted a clip of food trays sitting on the foldable tables of three seats. As the plane lands,…

  • Thailand’s Q4 economy slows as exports decline | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Q4 economy slows as exports decline

    Thailand’s Q4 economy grew by 1.4% in the final quarter of 2022 with hopes high for a tourism-led recovery. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew slower than expected in the fourth quarter of 2022 as exports and manufacturing declined. The much-anticipated rebound in tourism will continue to boost the recovery this year as global demand for manufactured goods declines. On a…

  • Russian brotherhood stealing Phuket jobs | Thaiger

    Russian brotherhood stealing Phuket jobs

    Hotels are unwelcoming. In the massage parlours, everyone is tense. Down Walking Street, in the girly bars, excitement is high and the air is filled with fearful chatter. The girls are aquiver in anticipation. The Russian ‘brotherhood’ (bratva) stealing Phuket jobs is bringing a whole new style of beatings and rapes to Thailand’s peaceful brothels. How will the new regime…

  • Single Russian roulette bullet kills two men | Thaiger

    Single Russian roulette bullet kills two men

    A single irresponsible bullet ended the life of two men playing a game in Ayutthaya in the early hours of yesterday morning. While playing a game of Russian roulette, a 30 year old man fired a .38 calibre pistol at his head and lost the game. The bullet passed through his head and hit his 23 year old friend who…

  • Thailand’s new lotteries sold via Pao Tang app | Thaiger

    Thailand’s new lotteries sold via Pao Tang app

    The Government Lottery Office approved a plan for Thailand’s new lotteries – the six-digit (L6) and three-digit (N3) lotteries. The move was proposed by the Finance Ministry. Entry into the L6 lottery will be 80 baht (US$2.30), the same as lotteries currently available. The L6 lottery will only be available in digital format. Tickets will be sold via the Pao…

  • The Importance of Wellness ft. Niels Steeman | Thaiger Podcast Ep.24 | Thaiger

    The Importance of Wellness ft. Niels Steeman | Thaiger Podcast Ep.24

    Click the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/WaQ-gHWE1NA Niels Steeman. Health, Fitness & Life Coach. A former senior executive in the travel and tourist industry turned health and wellness expert. Throughout his transformative journey he has gained an extensive amount of knowledge that has led into providing sustainable success stories for many of his clients using The Thrive Approach. A…

  • All the single ladies… Unmarried Thai women sick of being bad-mouthed | Thaiger

    All the single ladies… Unmarried Thai women sick of being bad-mouthed

    As a foreigner who is not married and has no intention of ever marrying, unmarried Thai women are not happy with me, and neither is anyone else. It seems to me that Thai society is composed of everyone knowing their own place and knowing everyone else’s place too. There actually is a place for a “man like me” – it’s…

  • Cloud Nine Celebrates their “GET LIFTED” Grand Opening Wednesday March 1st, 2023 | Thaiger

    Cloud Nine Celebrates their “GET LIFTED” Grand Opening Wednesday March 1st, 2023

    Press Release Cloud Nine has officially opened its doors, offering a fun and immersive space where guests can find a highly curated selection of the finest cannabis and head shop accessories throughout Thailand. On March 1st, Cloud Nine will celebrate by hosting a “GET LIFTED” Grand Opening extravaganza. The exciting atmosphere of Cloud Nine lures guests in by offering comfortable…

  • Chuwit stirs up nest of triad rats | Thaiger

    Chuwit stirs up nest of triad rats

    The pied piper of Bangkok, Chuwit Kamolvisit, is whistling out another nest of triad rats. King Rat, toots Chuwit, is none other than a certain Chinese national known as Yu Xinqi. Triads show up in Thailand under the protection of Yu’s “Shaanxi Association of Thailand,” nothing more than a trafficking ring that allows the wrong sort of Chinese people to…

  • Thai monk starring in sex clip claims he was drugged by German man | Thaiger

    Thai monk starring in sex clip claims he was drugged by German man

    A Thai monk is in the spotlight after a video of him performing oral sex on a German man circulated on the Internet. The Buddhist monk admitted it was him in the clip but claims it was filmed two years ago when he temporarily left the monkhood. Not only that, he claims that the German man drugged him with a…

  • Thai Airways cancels flights to Germany due to strikes | Thaiger

    Thai Airways cancels flights to Germany due to strikes

    Thai Airways announced the cancellation of all flights from Bangkok to Frankfurt and Munich and vice versa today – February 17 – due to labour strikes at airports all over Germany. Airport workers at major hubs in Germany are taking part in a day-long strike today over pay disrupting airline operations. Public sector workers and ground handlers are striking at…